Happy Saint Nicholas’ Day! The day dawned snowy and festive here and the boys were delighted to find some chocolate treats had been left in their places at the counter, but who doesn’t love waking up to chocolate?
Yesterday Huwyl and I read a story that I found here, then he drew a nice picture and a letter to Saint Nick asking him to come to our house. It may seem an odd festival for a rampant heathen but I love the theme of kindness and giving, and it reminds me of the years when I lived in Germany and we would go to lovely lantern parades in the chilly December streets. I think it also helps to turn Christmas into a season rather than just a present fest on one day. We have cunning plans for spreading out the joy over the course of the month, if today is anything to go by the boys will be more than happy.
After our little celebration the day descended a bit into madness with a tummy bug making itself known and the snow contributing to increasing the mud bath that is the outside of our house.
So what was going to be a busy day of music lesson/library/chores and general running around has now been called to a halt in favour of an easy route which doesn’t involve Mummy driving, moving very far or being in any way jostled. Right now the fire is on, a pot of mugwort tea is brewing and the house smells like the granola cooking in the oven. Huwyl is doing school via some learning computer games (He’s doing division! Voluntarily!), Neirin is ‘helping’ him and giving me fun projects to make in the form of sticklebrick aeroplanes (we are up to version 5 I think) and I have cunning plans for a movie afternoon and some sneaky lying down time for Mummy.
I know that I need to let out the chickens, get some wood and in sort out the dogs who are filthy up the their shoulders, and then there is the hallway that is covered in mud, the basement that is covered in mud and the coats, pants and boots that are…well you can see what I’m getting at. But that’s ok, I’ll manage those in bits and pieces while we continue through our hopefully stress reduced day; as I work I’ll send St Nicholas my sincere wish for a very, very hard frost and perhaps a few feet of snow. Snow is so much cleaner you see.
Emmalina and Her Unfeasibly Large Bonnet 
Bath and bed? Tired but heppy!
I think 10am might be a bit early for bed but I can give it a try!
The days can be very full, can’t they. I too love the sentiments of kindness and giving that this time of year lends itself too. I’m trying to instill it in my kids on a daily basis via their advent calendars. Hmm, will see how that goes. I hope that tummy bug has moved on. Happy muddy days to you. Jacinta